Like some of the new generation notebooks, the Asus N552 series is equipped with a M.2 SSD slot. Known in Europa/Asia as the Asus N552VX and in the US as the N552VW. The M.2 SSD is a much smaller size than the traditional 2.5 SATA form factor. Because of their smaller size they are ideal for slim size notebooks, ultrabooks and perhaps even for the next generation hybrid tablets. Another advantage of the M.2 SSD is that it is capable of utilizing PCI-E transferspeeds. The PCI-E can be 4 or 5 times faster than SATA3 (600gbps)!

Externally the N552 doesn’t look very different than its predecessor. However, internally the N552 is equipped with the new Skylake CPU, USB-C and the GTX 950m. Anyways, for anyone who is interested in upgrading their N552 with a M.2 SSD please continue reading.

The N552 is upgrade friendly in terms of upgrading the DVD-Drive, HDD, SSD (in HDD Bay) or RAM memory. However it’s a different story when you want to add a M.2 SSD to this notebook. Also the wifi card is not easily accessible. To add a M.2 SSD you have to remove the whole back cover (including compartment cover).

How to install M.2 SSD in the Asus N552

Please note: make sure to check if warrant is still in tact before removing the whole back cover.
Also, you need a little screw to secure the M.2 SSD in the M.2 slot. This screw is the same as the one at the back of your optical drive. Please make sure you have 1 available before adding your M.2 SSD.

1. Remove all screws at the bottom cover. The dvd-drive can removed once all screws are removed. Also don’t forget to remove the small screws at the DVD-Bay. Make sure to use a proper Philips 00 cross head screwdriver.

2. Remove the compartment cover. Remove the HDD with HDD Bracket and remove all the screws in here.

3. Use a spudger or a plastic case opener and jam it gently between the bottom and top cover near the 2 USB ports. The case should pop-up slightly when you jam your opener further in the casing. Once it pops up, slide it around the edges and it should open every clip. Do it gently, also you do not need to use a lot of force.

4. Once the bottom cover is loose, you can remove it. You’ll see the M.2 slot near the heat pipe. Please note in the N552VX used in this how-to, there was a M-key M.2 slot available! For M-key you can use SATA and PCIe x4 SSDs. Lay the M.2 SSD in the slot and use the spudger or case opener to fully insert the M.2 SSD in the slot. You’ll need a little screw to secure the M.2 SSD. This is the same screw as for your metal bracket at the back of your dvd-drive.

7. Now put everything back in the same order and you’re done.

The M.2 slot is fully bootable and accessible in BIOS and Windows, which is great. You can clone the factory OS to the M.2 SSD and make it bootable (change the boot order in BIOS). In total you could add 3 SSD’s in the N552. One in the M.2 slot, one in the HDD bay and on in the DVD bay (with HDD Caddy).

We have also a video on this how-to, please check it below.

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